Joy Diesel Screw Air Compressor Troubleshooting

[ippielb]

Bought this diesel air compressor at an auction sight unseen. Did not run, 5000 hours on meter.

What i do know, it has a john deere 4 cylinder diesel, and a Joy screw type compressor. It's absolutely filthy because the oil cooler failed and covered everything in oil.

I have gotten the engine running, the fuel shut off solenoid in the injection pump had failed, replaced that, the fuel filter, and bled the lines at the injectors. The engine runs well.

Now, there is no oil cooler on the compressor oil, so i do not want to run it very long until i get one figured out. But immediately i see that there was air leaks everywhere. I have tightened a handful of connections where it was leaking. But theres a few that continue to leak.


I circled where the main air leaks are happening. The top left one, there is a block that had a threaded port facing straight down, which i had a plug so i put a plug in it for now, unsure what that is for. The second is a pop valve it seems. And it is blowing air out of a small port on the side of it.

The top left circle is the intake of the compressor, there is a rod that comes out and presses on the throttle linkage to idle it down. There is quite a bit of air coming from there. The right side is the port that the air is coming out of.

Currently, the compressor is only putting out 50 psi, it doesn't build past that. When i crack the valve 3/4 of the way open it pushes more air, then when it is wide open. There is quite a bit of oil in the air, im assuming that the oil separating filter needs to be replaced.

 

[1466IH]

Yours looks pretty much the same as mine so I am pretty confident it is a vane compressor not a screw. Will try to get some pics of mine for you tomorrow

 

[ippielb]

Yours looks pretty much the same as mine so I am pretty confident it is a vane compressor not a screw. Will try to get some pics of mine for you tomorrow

I'm not entirely sure, but i figured it was a screw basing off of the oil line orientations. And the compressor output line coming out of the end.

 

[ippielb]

Yours looks pretty much the same as mine so I am pretty confident it is a vane compressor not a screw. Will try to get some pics of mine for you tomorrow

Just a friendly reminder Was hoping to try and figure this compressor out right away so that i can use it to blow the combines off, we are finished harvest now.

 

[1466IH]

I am sorry. We are in the middle of harvest also. Not much free time lately. Will try to remember tomorrow

 

[ippielb]

I took off the intake valve on top of the compressor there. The spring that keeps the plunger depressed was broken. So I found one that worked and replaced it. but there was nothing else going on in the compressor. It is a screw type. I looked in the neck and could see the screw impeller? If that’s what it’s called. Rotor.

But this port I’m showing in the first picture with that orange line going to it leaks the air out. Not sure what it does but it goes to that T fitting behind the panel. Where the start/run lever goes into. You can see the brass plug I put in. That port was wide open

 

[Simon C]

Would be a good idea to blow everything off with a good blow gun to prevent getting dirt where it doesn't belong.
Simon C

 

[ippielb]

Would be a good idea to blow everything off with a good blow gun to prevent getting dirt where it doesn't belong.
Simon C

I sprayed down everything with diesel and let it soak overnight and pressure washed everything. I just haven't gotten new pictures yet, looks like a different unit.

 

[Simon C]

That is a good idea. Makes it nicer to work on as well.
Simon C

 

[ippielb]

That is a good idea. Makes it nicer to work on as well.
Simon C

100%, the unit doesn't have an oil cooler. It must've failed, and coated everything with heavy oil and dirt. Was 1/8" thick on almost everything. used a gallon of diesel on it, everything just kept soaking up the diesel and didn't even drip.

Also dieseled down the old Case construction king backhoe and washed it. I dont think that things gotten a bath in decades. Hopefully can sell it to recover the cost and keep the packer wheels as profit.

 

[ippielb]

a couple pictures before it starts snowing tonight.

 

[ippielb]

Harvest is coming up and we would like to get this compressor working to blow equipment off in the field easier.

Wondering if anyone would be kind enough to talk me through this machine. I havent touched it since i washed it last fall.

 

[MarshallPowerGen]

It sounds like you're having an issue getting it to go from 'Start' mode to 'Run' mode.

When you start the compressor, the engine should run at a lower speed (controlled by the spring and rod circled in your OP) and be bleeding off all the air the compressor is trying to build until switched to Run. Switching it is supposed to stop the air from bleeding off, bring up the engine speed and build pressure.

Are you seeing any change at all when switching from 'Start' to 'Run'?

 

[ippielb]

It sounds like you're having an issue getting it to go from 'Start' mode to 'Run' mode.

When you start the compressor, the engine should run at a lower speed (controlled by the spring and rod circled in your OP) and be bleeding off all the air the compressor is trying to build until switched to Run. Switching it is supposed to stop the air from bleeding off, bring up the engine speed and build pressure.

Are you seeing any change at all when switching from 'Start' to 'Run'?

The engine RPM increases to high idle, and there is a slight amount of air pressure, but when i open the valve it exhausts and slowly pumps air out. But there is still air bleeding out of the release port that i have circled on the pressure tank.

 

[Vetech63]

All I know for sure is that wiring web is driving me crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[ippielb]

lol this whole compressor drives me crazy, nothing makes sense and someone has been messing with everything.

 

[MarshallPowerGen]

After the amount of customer owned pre-rental auction compressors I worked on; At this point I'm convinced they all come from the factory that way.

OP, I'll dig a bit through some manuals I have and find a close setup and try to troubleshoot through your setup. It's been a few years since I had my hands in any compressors (especially engine driven and oiled)

 

[mg2361]

Maybe these will help.